I recently had the pleasure and privilege to meet the boys behind the magic at ReFactor Tactical, which are based out of Denver Colorado. Since I live down near Colorado Springs it was just a quick drive up the 25 for me to meet them at Bristlecone Shooting Range, which is where they conduct training and some photo shoots for the company’s social media pages. When I spoke with Luke via email prior to driving up there, I asked him what I needed to bring, he simply replied, “just hearing protection, we will have the rest”.
We arrived before the range opened and did the introductions and that’s where I met Luke, the owner of the company and Ty, the marketing manager. Right off the bat we hit it off, Luke served in the Army and Ty was a former Marine, like me.
Once we brought all the gear in and set the range up we immediately got down to business. Luke explained to me the concept behind their proprietary targets and courses of fire. After getting the rundown he provided me with a war belt, mags, and an M&P Pistol. Now, I am and have always been a 1911 guy, it’s what I carried for over a decade as a cop and before that, I shot the M9 while in the Marines. Although I wasn’t shooting a 1911, my next choice of a stock pistol is the M&P because the ergonomics work best for me. I was extremely excited that Luke provided me with a Snake Eater Tactical war belt. I have been eyeballing that company for a long time and now was my chance to try it out (I loved it and immediately bought one of my own).
Straight out of the gate he put me through the paces. Challenged my ability to think on my feet and transition among the shapes on the target, all while keeping a solid pace after coming out of the holster quickly. Luke took the time to provide me with a few pointers on how to best economize my movement from the holster to the targets. Shooting is such a perishable skill and I accept any constructive criticism where I can get it.
If you are a weekend shooter who likes to make the most out of your time on the range, I highly recommend ReFactor’s Essential Shooting Guide and the Essential Target. The thought and experience behind the development of those two products will allow you to hone your skills and force you to think.
Sourced from ReFactor Tactical website:
The book starts with our Essentials Drill which is a 150 round drill designed to work on different aspects of shooting to include: basic marksmanship, drawing from the holster, reloads, target transitions, differing trigger manipulations and a combat focused shooting. Upon completion of the drill, you will diagnose areas that need improvement. The book then offers chapters of different drills that are used in conjunction with our Essentials Targets as well as areas to mark your improvement. We strongly recommend to use this book in conjunction with our Essentials Targets as the two items will offer a solid iteration of marksmanship.
For the short time, I was on the rifle, I used their target named the Human Resources Target, which was developed at the request of a Special Operations unit. The meaning behind this target is to provide an endless supply of drills that include flat range work, as well as shoot-house/CQB training. Each of the five individual targets is designed with a different shape, color, letter, and number combination. All targets have a head, chest, and thoracic cavity zone, based on the average human height and width of each area.
Over the course of nearly 20 years of shooting in the military, law enforcement and the security/protection industry, I can honestly say you cannot go wrong adding these two products into your toolbox. Having this well thought out course of fire will definitely eliminate any doubts of what you should do on the range and make better use of your time and money.
Essentials Target- $2.50
Essential Shooting Guide- $19.95
Human Resources Target- $2.50
(All pictures were taken by ReFactor Tactical)
Brought to you by the dudes at Spotter Up
